


We happy few

by gotta_write_them_all (sailorsally)



Category: Black Sails, Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi, but also I loved writing this because I love the idea of their friendship, everything happens in Yorkshire because Geography is hard, gays supporting eachother, hence its now a thing that exists out there, i mean these two didn't even really live in the same century, id say it just has this free spirit of period you know, if you wont tolerate historic inaccuracies I don't know what to tell you, lord underwood won't shut up about his horse, possibly distressing imagery such as Thomas in an Ushanka hat, so this is basically Anne Lister/Thomas Hamilton brotp fic, so this is not time specific, some other relevant tags include:, which I wrote ages ago and finally was in mood to edit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22122550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorsally/pseuds/gotta_write_them_all
Summary: Childhood friends, Thomas Hamilton and Anne Lister meet again years later. There is plenty to discuss.
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854), Captain Flint | James McGraw/Thomas Hamilton, Miranda Barlow/Captain Flint | James McGraw, Miranda Barlow/Captain Flint | James McGraw/Thomas Hamilton, Miranda Barlow/Thomas Hamilton
Comments: 14
Kudos: 57





	We happy few

“Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself.”  
― C.S. Lewis

***

Thomas was finding the ball to be a bore. He used to be in favour of big outings and flashy costumes but lately, he had been preferring spending his evenings in the privacy of his own home. At least the company he kept there was never dull and there were plenty of activities that he enjoyed more from reading to being otherwise engaged.

The ballroom was packed full with the most prominent members of London society, red cheeks and loose lips everywhere from having consumed too much wine. The colourful sea of extravagant dresses made from the exotic fabrics was almost painful on the eye. He had barely escaped yet another tedious conversation with Lord Underwood about the new stallion he had acquired last week during his visit to Yorkshire and was now getting drunk away in a faraway corner away from everyone. He too had given in. Red wine, too dry for his taste had sadly become the only refuge for his mind at this dull occasion. 

“Lord Hamilton, lurking in the shadows. What are you plotting this time?”

The familiar voice made his head turn in an instant. 

It couldn’t be, could it?

“Miss Lister!”

Anne Lister was standing next to him, fully clad in black, as usual.  
She offered him her hand and Thomas shook it instead of kissing it. It made Anne smile.

“What are you doing here? Last time I saw you you were about to set out for Paris!”

“Oh, I did. My anatomy lessons there were most satisfactory,” Anne smiled one of her wicked smiles, making sure Thomas caught the true meaning behind her words,” sadly didn't have much time to practice my French." 

“Of course”, Thomas having picked up on her intention, smiled into his glass. 

***

They have known about their rather unconventional inclinations since they were young.  
Thomas’ father used to send the young boy and his sister to spend several weeks in their country house in Halifax.  
Thomas had met Anne there, at the annual summer festival at Harewood House, near Shibden Hall where the Listers lived. Anne’s peculiar manner of dress, already back then, had sparked his interest - stockings and knee-breeches! She was wearing boy’s clothes but her long dark hair had been done up like a girl’s. 

“Why are you dressed like a boy?” young Thomas had asked. 

“It makes climbing trees easier,” Anne had answered gripping the low branch and coaxing herself up the stump of the oak tree in one short smooth movement. 

”Are you coming?” she had asked offering her hand to help Thomas up.

They had met again years later at a debutante ball held for Thomas’ sister, Margaret, who now of marrying age, needed to find a suitable suitor as swiftly as possible.  
Seeing how influential the Hamiltons were, there had been no shortage of handsome and eager young men looking forward to being introduced to Margret Hamilton. Thomas had spent the evening being a good host, taking the guests around the impressive estate.  
Anne, now clad in slightly more appropriate clothing for a dame and the occasion, though Thomas suspected, still wearing low heeled shoes that were luckily obscured by the length of her gown, had stayed behind giving Thomas room and letting him entertain to the best of his ability.  
Jamie Amercrombe, the oldest son of Lord Abercromby had been the keenest, using every occasion to strike up a conversation with Margaret. However, Miss Lister’s watchful eye didn’t miss that his younger sister, Lydia had seemed taken with Thomas just as much. 

“Cheer up. Lydia seems to be quite fond of you already, and it isn’t even your debut,” Anne had elbowed Thomas on their stroll through the enormous garden of the Hamilton estate that evening.

“Men don’t do debuts,” Thomas had said, not bothering to lift his gaze from the ground.

“I wonder why is that,” Anne had said, the mockery in her tone giving away her stance on the issue of which Thomas was well aware.

“It’s only that,” Thomas had said his voice softer than usual,“I think I’d rather have her brother’s affection instead of hers.”

Anne’s face had gone softer.

“And I myself wouldn’t be so much opposed to Lydia’s affection actually”

Thomas had looked up at her and Anne had smiled at him, with a peculiar twinkle in her eye.  
The two of them had never spoken about it in clearer terms than that. They didn’t feel they needed to. 

***

“I’m afraid I won’t be staying long this time either. I’ll be returning to Halifax this Sunday to say my goodbyes. Then I plan to travel south, everything has been arranged” Anne reported, excitement tangible in her tone. 

“Everything?” Thomas looked up from his glass. “Is she here?” he started to scan the room intrigued. 

“She is indeed”, Anne said and nodded in direction of a petite blonde sat in an armchair by the fireplace across the room from where they were standing.  
She looked as bored as Thomas had felt moments ago, before Anne’s arrival. She also looked strangely familiar. 

“Wait. Isn’t that Miss Walker? The Miss Walker? With enormous fortune?”

“Yes, she is,” Anne confirmed proudly.

Thomas snorted.

“You always did have an appetite. You did good, Miss Lister.”

“I did, but not for the reasons you might think”, Anne answered, suddenly sounding more serious. 

For a moment, she contemplated if she should tell her old friend everything that has transpired between her and Ann. How she indeed had been after her fortune at first but in the strangest twist of faith found herself truthfully falling in love with her. How Ann had struggled with their relationship and how it all almost ended in disaster. But did it all matter now?

“She is my wife. Before God and Church,” she confessed to Thomas in the end and felt ecstatic having shared her secret with someone else besides herself and Ann.

Thomas nodded, not entirely surprised o behalf of Miss Lister. Although watching Miss Walker across the room, he did admire her for it. 

“I’m pleased to hear that”, Thomas congratulated, “however, I don’t think her family would have been.”

Anne rolled her eyes.

“That’s an understatement. They had her sent away. She resisted. She was stronger than them in the end”, Anne looked at Ann across the room, who looked animated and happy conversing with a pair of young twin girls, the daughters of the hosts, and her heart swelled with love for her wife. 

“What about you, my Lord? Have you been disappointing your father as well?” Anne asked playfully returning her gaze back to Thomas.

A side smirk crept up on Thomas' face. He looked around the busy room, searching. His eyes quickly found Miranda in the crowd. She seems to be engaged in a heated discussion with the hosts of the party, Lord and Lady Smiths.

Anne’s eyes followed Thomas’ gaze until they too landed on Miranda. 

"Oh? I thought you weren't very keen on the fair sex, unlike me," Anne sounded surprised.

Thomas snorted. He watched Miranda threw her head back laughing at something Lady Smith had said. 

"Oh but I am very keen on her."

They were both watching Miranda still, as a man in Navy uniform entered the picture, politely bowing before Miranda and the Smiths before joining the conversation. 

"And on him"

Anne looked closely at the man. He stood a fraction too close to Thomas’ wife then it would have been appropriate.

“Of course,'' she shook her head and smiled at Thomas. “I always forget you, the devious Lord Hamilton can easily persuade anyone”

“You’d be surprised. It wasn’t me who persuaded him, it was my wife”

Anne raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Impressive. She sounds fun, your wife”

“You don’t know half of it”, Thomas said teasing her. He had always enjoyed this camaraderie they had cultivated throughout the years. 

“Speaking of wives, I think yours is requesting your presence,” Thomas pointed to Miss Walker, now cornered by no other than Lord Underwood who was enthusiastically talking about something while Miss Walker nodded politely, begging for an escape with her eyes.

“You’d better go. I wouldn’t wish sitting through Lord Underwood’s stallion story on my worst enemy”

“I’d better go then”, Anne nodded her head bidding her goodbye. 

“I’m happy for you, Miss Lister” Thomas nodded back.

“As am I for you, Mister Hamilton. I’ll send you a letter from Moskow”

“No, you won’t”, Thomas argued.

“You know me too well”, Anne winked at him, ”I’ll bring back an Ushanka hat for you then. Far less ugly than those wigs of yours,” she called out before disappearing into the crowd of dancers.

Thomas laughed and drained the glass as he watched Miss Lister, now on the other side of the room, lead her wife away under the pretence of what, knowing Anne, must have been a very impressive excuse.

“My Lord, have you heard this incredibly captivating story about a stallion Lord Underwood acquired at an auction last week?” James’ low voice startled Thomas.

“Do not continue that sentence or I promise you’ll be spending the night at your quarters, alone”

“So you have then?” James sounded well amused.

“Two nights!”

**Author's Note:**

> Listen y'all,  
> sometimes I write crossovers because they make my heart happy and sometimes the crossovers are period pieces and most times I don't know jack shit about period stuff but that didn't stop me this one time did it. So if you read the story, my sincere gratitude to you.  
> If you liked it maybe leave kudos or comment because serotonin is scarce and we all gotta get by in this life somehow
> 
> TY <3


End file.
